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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Say Goodnight to the World

Dax Riggs' sound has been evolving for years — from the sludge rock he played with Acid Bath to the indie rock he now makes on his own. On his third solo album, he adds some blues and folk to the mix. Riggs' genre-jumping hasn't always been smooth, but he sounds more comfortable than ever on Say Goodnight to the World. There are some solid foot-stompers here (like the sleazy "Let Me Be Your Cigarette"), but there's also a bunch of slower songs that give Riggs' smoky voice a workout. In the mellow pysch-folk cut "Like Moonlight," he croons in a lazy, sun-drenched delivery that sounds like Beck at his most Sea Change depressed. The album's highlight is a cover of "Heartbreak Hotel," which turns the Elvis classic into a dark and chilling call of desperation.